Record carrier



Jan. 9, 1945. soLKov 2,366,940

RECORD CARRIER Filed July 29, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

6 01% o/fi over' BY ATTORNEY.

Jan. 9, 1945. G. SOLKOVER 2,366,940

RECORD CARRIER Filed July 29, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NV EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 9, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a record carrier for self-changing multi-record phonogra'phs, and for its principal object aims to provide a device of this nature permitting a severalty of phonograph records to be applied to and removed from the playing instrument as a connected unit.

It is a further and a particular object of the invention to provide a multi-record carrier characterized in that the collection of records carried thereby are held against relative lateral shifting to preclude the grooved surfaces of contiguous records from becoming scratched and in consequence marring the tone properties of the recorded matter.

It is a further object still to provide a multirecord carrier which permits a number of records to be handled with complete safety by one hand both in applying to records to and in removing the records from the playing instrument.

As a further object still the present invention aims to provide such a device as Will permit an be unnecessaiy to refer in detail thereto other than to give name to and describe the working of the parts which concern the record carrier.

operator to assemble a number of records in selected groupings producing an identical order of play asbetween the several records in each group for such period thereafter as may be desired.

The foregoing, with still further objects and advantages, will become apparent in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaption and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a self-changing multi-record phonograph having one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof indicating twelve records as being carried by the carrier device with the first tworecords having been already played and with the third in the series in the process of being played.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section to an enlarged scale detailing my carrier device, and showing fragmentarily the position of the records thereon following a playing of the entire series.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken to a scale enlarged from that of Fig. 3 on line 4-4 of the latter.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in longitudinal vertical Of these parts the numeral l0 denotes the turn table which is revolubly driven from an electric motor housed in the casing l I and which serves the added function of intermittently imparting a slow motion quarter-turn wrist movement to each of two vertical stems l2 and I3, these stems lying at diametrically opposite sides of the table and on their upper ends presentingpairs of radial fingers l4 and I5 occupying horizontal planes. The former of such fingers are disposed normally in relative alignment, and the fingers I5 lie in 90 spaced relation therefrom in a plane elevated thereabove a distance corresponding to the thickness of a phonograph record. The function of the first-named fingers is that of a rest for supporting a stack of records in an elevated position above the turn table preparatory to beingplayed thereon, while the oflice of the fingers I5 is that of a separating selector in that the inner edge is bevelled to permit the finger to penetrate the space between the lowermost and the next succeeding record momentarilyin advance of a movement of the fingers l4 out of supporting relation to the stack. The released lowermost record thereupon drops onto the table, and a succeeding return movement of fingers l4 simultaneously with a retraction of the fingers l5 permits the stack to drop from the latter onto the former. This described movement, which initiates a record-changing cycle, is timed to correspond with themovement of a tone arm,

as l6, which swings outwardly upon a universal mounting beyond the marginal limits of a descending record and thence returns inwardly and downwardly to have its needle l6 enter the sound track of the record. The conventional machine, for holding the records in stacked alignment and for guiding the same in their drop onto the" table, or upon apreviously played record thereon, is also equipped with a spindle which is fixed to and lies in axial relation with the table. A self-changing multi-record phonograph operating in the manner hereinabove outlined is illustrated and described in U. S. Patent No. 2,230,106, issued to J. Erwood January 28, 1941.

My present invention consists primarily in providing for the records such a device as will function to hold the same in alignment not only while supported upon the fingers l4 or l5, as the case may be, but also while applying the records to and removing the same from the playing instrument. I indicate for this purpose a spool, denoted generally by 20, which is arranged to receive the records thereon and itself slip over the machine spindle, and excepting as the standard spindle is replaced by a more slender pin, as ll, permitting my spool to be sleeved over the same, no change in the construction of the described machine or of its functional counterpart is required in the adaptation of the same to the present invention.

Describing the spool in more particularity it will be seen that the same is produced to a length corresponding to the span between the surface of the turn table and the extreme upper limits of a stack of records supported upon the fingers I4 preparatory to being successively played, and that such spool is characterized principally in that. both ends of the same are turned over to form flanges 2|-,22 of which one is in the nature of a nut threadably applied to permit removal. Centrally of the spool, considered lengthwise, the spool is or may begiven a reduced diameter as at 23 having mergence with the enlarged ends by tapering shoulders 23, the purpose thereof being to preclude possibility of binding between the lowermost record and the spool as the record is released. The reduced portion is of such a length as to extend slightly above the lowermost record. Being given momentum, there is no tendency for the falling record to bind on the enlarged lower end even though the fit is considerably more snug than that which exists between a record and the standard-sized spindle of an ordinary multi-record machine.

It is believed to be clear from the foregoing that the records may be easily and safely carried by grasping either of the flanges 2| and 22, whichever is uppermost, between the thumb and second finger, the records in such case resting against the other or lowermost flange. The matter of applying the records over the spindle in position for playing is facilitated considerably in that it is unnecessary to bring each record into register with the spindle separately or, in the alternative, shift the several records into alignment while stacked with the consequent danger of scratching the surfaces.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a carrying case to which myspool peculiarly adapts itself. In forming such case from cardboard or other suitable inexpensive material I provide a boxbody 23 of a length and height corresponding to the diameter of the records to be carried, and of a width less than the length of my spool, and in each side wall provide a slot, as 24, which is open at the top and extends downwardly to the approximate mid-height of the box. Attached by a paper hinge 25 is a lid 26 of which the free edge of the same is detachably fixed by a flexible fastener 21 of the usual or a suitable character. case of this nature finds its most obvious usage in the retailing of records ready-mounted upon the spool, a series, for example, of related operatic selections arranged according to their sequence of occurrence in the parent opera.

Numerous modifications might be resorted to and are, in fact, necessary, to adapt the invention to all of the various types of self-changing multi-record phonographs. It is'accordingly my intention to imply no limitations excepting as such limitations are specifically brought into the hereto annexed claims as a definition of the invention.

What I claim, is:

l. A device for the purpose described, namely for use with a self-changing multi-record phono- 28 denotes a carrying handle. A

ter apertures for holding the records graph providing a rotary turn-table fitted with a centrally disposed mounting pin, and comprising a spindle of appreciable length formed to atachable application of the spindle, either end first, over the mounting pin of the table.

2. A device for the purpose described, namely for use with a self-changing multi-record phonograph providing a rotary turn-table fitted with a centrally disposed mounting pin, and comprising a spindle element formed to a diameter permitting the spindle to be inserted through the center apertures of the stack and provided upon one of its ends with stop means arranged to project outwardly beyond the compass of the cenagainst dislodgment in the use of the spindle as a carrier in placing a set of records in or removing the same from the machine, and a stop means removably connected with the other end of the spindle and likewise projecting outwardly beyond the compass of the centerapertures of the records and acting in complement with the firstnamed stop'means to restrict the longitudinal movement of the records Within the limits of the spindles length, said device, assembled, presenting center-bores upon each of its two ends permitting detachable. application of the same, either end first, over the mounting pin of the table.

3. The device of claim 2 characterized in that the body proper of the assembled device, or which is to say that part of the same which is described between the two stop means, presents record-carrying necks at each end separated by a connecting stem which, by'comparison, is of a reduced diameter, said stem merging with said necksby tapering shoulders and acting in the use of the device to facilitate a sliding travel of the record-discs from one to. the other said end neck.

4. A device for the purpose described, namely for use with a self-changing multi-record phonograph providing a rotary turn-table fitted with a centrally disposed mounting pin, and comprising a spindle of appreciable length formed to a diameter permitting insertion through the center apertures of transcription record-discs and at each extremity providing a stop projecting outwardly beyond the compass of the centrapertures of the record-discs for holding the discs upon the spindle, said spindle having its ends center-bored to present sockets permitting detachable application of the spindle, either end first, over the mounting pin of the table, the body proper of the spindle, or which is to say that part of the same which is described between the two stops, presenting record-carrying necks at each end separated by a connecting stem which, by comparison, is of a reduced diameter, said stem merging with said necks by tapering shoulders and acting in the use of the device to facilitate a sliding travel of the record-discs from one to the other said end neck,

GEORGE SOLKOVER. 

